Presenting signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Pain in the head and neck may be due to multiple causes and difficult to localize. A definitive diagnosis can be difficult to make. The literature reports several cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma presenting as temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The records of 52 patients with a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were reviewed to determine the frequency of symptoms that may be similar to TMD. In 13.5% of the patients common TMD signs and symptoms were present, such as clicking in the joint, pain while chewing, and limited opening. Of the patients reviewed, 44.2% described the location of their pain as headache, earache, or as jaw, midface, or neck pain. The most common description of pain was aching, dull, or pressing. Symptoms identified that may assist in differentiation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from TMD include nosebleed, nasal stuffiness, altered hearing, and cervical lymph node enlargement. A patient with carcinoma of the nasopharynx may have symptoms that must be differentiated from TMD.